At a glance

Your chance to

At a glance

7 nights farmhouse with swimming pool

5 days centre-based walking

Moderate fitness is required

More challenging walks on specified dates

Walks in Tuscany's mountainous Garfagnana region

The Garfagnana region, close to the gems of Lucca, Pisa and Florence, is one of Italy's best-kept secrets and the perfect base for guided walking holidays in Tuscany. The area’s astonishing landscape is a far cry from the rolling hills of southern Tuscany as it lies between the striking peaks of the Alpi Apuane and Apennine mountain ranges, providing us with ample hiking opportunities which, along with picturesque mountaintop and lakeside villages and the warm local hospitality, make for a wonderful trip. Certain dates include more challenging trekking and incorporate one night in a mountain refuge.

Walk profile

Daily distance in km/miles:

Day 2

13.0km/8.1miles

Day 3

12.0km/7.5miles

Day 4

20.0km/12.4miles

Day 6

16.0km/9.9miles

Day 7

16.0km/9.9miles

Number of days walking: 5

Pace: Moderate: 5-6km/3-4miles an hour

Terrain: Low altitude; uneven paths with steep ascents and descents

Itinerary

The week includes 5 daywalks along mountaintops and through pretty villages. Please note that the itinerary can be modified depending on local conditions.
We usually begin the week with a short drive to the village of Pruno, where we begin our walk into the Orechiella National Park. The park is home to a variety of flora and fauna changing throughout the year. Set amongst the beautiful beech wood our walk first ascends to Sella di Campiana, a col, where on a clear day the lower slopes of the Apennines can be seen. From here the route continues up to the flat summit of Pania di Corfino at 1603m. After a picnic lunch we continue our day firstly descending to the 16 century village of Campiana before following an old mule track across the mountain and zigzagging back to the bus.

Driving around the beautiful reservoir of Lago di Vagli with its submerged village and impressive backdrop of the imposing Monte Sumbra, our transfer brings us to the day's start point; Vagli Sotto (lower Vagli). From here we initially walk along the quiet road before taking a small footpath that leads up to Vagli Sopra (upper Vagli). Making our way through the village and the chestnut and beech wood we arrive at the 16th century shepherds village of Campocatino. Wandering through the village and seeing the beautiful terraced meadows, protected by the impressive wall of Roccandagia, it is easy to see why the shepherds chose this location. From here we make our way to San Viano's hermitage. Built into the rock face, the hermitage is said to be where San Viano spent his time before his bones were finally discovered here in 1993. Weather permitting we lunch on the terrace then follow the path as it continues to descend through the trees and out onto the open rocky area below the hermitage. Following switchbacks down to the lane, we make our way along it before joining a footpath leading to the quarry road and back to the bus having completed 12km.See more images and videos

4Day 4Castiglione di Garfagnana

Joining a local guide, today you will walk directly from the farmhouse, firstly visiting the new town of Villa Collemandina where you might stop for coffee before visiting the church and learning about the history of the town. After this your route will take you on tracks, quiet lanes and footpaths through the local farmland and houses giving you a chance to see how the villagers make their living. Midway through the day you should arrive at the medieval town of Castiglione di Garfagnana, a small but beautiful walled town where Italy's largest and most popular chestnut festival is held in the Autumn. Should you arrive on this date you would be able to experience the long held tradition celebrating the chestnut tree and the growth of truffles and mushrooms. After lunch in the town and a stop at one of the popular cafes, the afternoon will involve crossing a 13 century bridge below the town leading into more farmland and making your way back to Braccicorti on easy tracks giving you a total of 20km of walking.See more images and videos

5Day 5Free day

You make like to spend you free day on a trip to either the stunning walled city of Lucca, the Cinque Terre, the Tuscan capital city of Florence, or Pisa where you can ascend the leaning tower and walk along the beautiful river Arno. Other options would be to relax at the farmhouse and, if warm enough, make use of the sun loungers and outdoor pool or walk down to Lago di Pontecosi for lunch and a stroll through the local area.

Today we start at the small ski village of Vianova at 1093m where we begin our walk into the Alpi Apuane NP. Giving us time to warm ourselves up slowly, we spend much of the first part of the ascent on a wide forest track that continues through the beech wood to our first view point across to the face of Pania della Croce and the Omo Morto range. From here we take a footpath continuing upward to reach the impressive front wall of Monte Sumbra with its sweeping views down across Lago di Vagli and the submerged village. After a short break to take in the view and re-energise ourselves we make the optional ascent across the limestone plateau to join a small footpath that winds its way around the north side of Monte Sumbra, across a boulder field and up open grassy banks before arriving at the summit of Monte Sumbra at 1745m. From here, weather permitting, we will be blessed with an uninterrupted view of the Alpi Apuane range, the Versilia coast of the Cinque Terre and the enormous spine of the Apennines. We retrace our steps back to the limestone plateau before heading down through the trees following one of the old charcoal trails back to the minibus where we would have completed 16km of walking. On the way back to Braccicorti, time permitting, we may join the locals for a drink in the lovely town of Careggine.See more images and videos

7Day 7Monte Prado

We start today with a short drive to the small ski area of Casone at 1304m. Following a very short section along the road we head off into the beech woodland on a wide forest track that gently ascends to meet a small footpath leading us out onto the beginning of the wide Crinali ridge, a section of the 1600km Apennine ridge in the Tosco/Emiliano/Apennine NP. Weather permitting the views can be some of the most impressive of the week. During the winter the ridge is covered in snow, a great playground for skiers and snowshoers, spring brings the new growth of alpine rock garden flowers and autumn carpets the ground in purple hues from the myrtle berries mixed with the green juniper. Below is a basin of fiery colours from the forest leaves between the ridge line of Tuscany and the opposite ridge of Emilia Romana. Our route takes us along the ridge with stunning views in both directions, crossing Bocca di Massa, walking underneath the summit of Monte Vecchio (the 'old mountain') and leading us up onto the summit of Monte Prado, the highest peak in Tuscany at 2054m. On a good day we can enjoy views to the Alps and sometimes even as far as Corsica and Sardinia! We picnic on the summit before retracing our steps to Bocca di Massa, where we descend to Rifugio Cella, a small shepherds hut and if we are lucky we might see the shepherds tending to their large herd. We then follow a good path through the trees arriving back at the hotel in Casone, where anything from delicious Italian hot chocolate to hot mulled wine can be enjoyed at the end of 16km of walking.See more images and videos

Your images

Guided Group

This is a small group guided holiday. The group is usually between 4 and 16 in size, with an average of 12 like-minded clients booking individually, in a couple or as friends together.

Activity level

You are moderately fit and possess a spirit of adventure. Some previous experience is required for most activity based trips.

What's included

What's included

All breakfasts, 5 picnic lunches, 5 dinners

All accommodation (see below)

All transport and activities

Tour leader throughout

Flights from London (if booking incl. flights)

What's not included

Travel insurance

Single accommodation (available on request from GBP175 - limited availability)

Visas or vaccinations

Accommodation details

Braccicorti

You will spend 7 nights at Braccicorti, a lodge-style farmhouse with an outdoor swimming pool or 6 nights at Braccicorti and 1 night in a comfortable mountain hut on challenging grade departures. The lodge comprises 4 twin/double rooms (with en-suite facilities) and 2 apartments, each with 1 twin/double and 1 single room sharing a bathroom. Room preferences should be stated on booking, but cannot be guaranteed.
Braccicorti lodge has been renovated keeping the character of the area in mind and is not a luxury villa. There are basic furnishings and rooms are not serviced as you would expect in a hotel.
There is no charge for the single rooms, as bathroom facilities are shared. These are provided on a first come first served basis and should be requested upon booking.

Essential info

Vaccinations and Visa
No visa required for British passport holders.
Please note in Italy it is compulsory to carry ID with you at all times. Holiday style

The Garfagnana area provides enormous scope for some of the most spectacular and interesting walking in Italy, with the added bonus of knowing we will hardly ever see other walkers, other than occasional local Italians. The majority of the paths are good and well maintained, however a few sections are less frequently used and rougher underfoot, with varying degrees of ascents, some strenuous. Early in the season there may be snow patches and snowshoes may have to be used.
The area is quite hilly and the majority of drives, although short, follow twisty mountain roads through wooded areas. Tuscany can also be very hot, possibly high 30s (degC) in the summer.
For moderate grade weeks, we usually walk 4 to 6 hours each day and a reasonable level of fitness is required. Ascents and descents of 400 to 700m should be expected.
For challenging grade weeks, we usually walk between 5 and 8 hours per day. We spend one night in a comfortable mountain refuge, so we will have to pack our belongings for our two-day ridge excursion into our daypacks.

Eating & drinking

All breakfasts, 5 lunches and 5 dinners are included.
Breakfast is continental style with a choice of cereal, bread, yoghurt and milk with an array of teas and coffee.
Packed lunches are provided for the daywalks.
All included dinners are taken at Braccicorti (on challenging graded weeks 1 dinner is taken in the mountain refuge).
Vegetarians are usually well catered for in this area.

Gallery

Reviews & community

The week was well planned, thought out and enjoyable, Sara and the team at Braccicorti did an excellent job both with the walks and domestic arrangements each day through to arranging an interesting and worthwhile trip to Lucca on our free day. A good job well done.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Each day brought different memories which were all very good, there was no individual moment that exceeded any other but the trip as a whole was inspirational.

What did you think of your group leader?

Sara was a professional and interesting guide who had a vast amount of knowledge about the area, her planning skills were second to none and she made the trip into a holiday that I would recommend to anyone. Sara also went above and beyond in arranging a 60th birthday party which was not part of her normal role which added to the overall enjoyment we had during the trip.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Be well prepared for walking in hot weather with temperatures reaching 35+ degrees.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

We would again like to thank Sara for her time, professionalism but above all for making this holiday very worthwhile.

5 days of varied walking over the ridges and peaks of tuscany. The weather was generally very kind and the accommodation and welcome was superb. The food and wine was varied and cooked fresh. Bellisimo! Our tour guide was inspirational and full of stories and adventure. Worth the trip on its own. I encourage people to go and enjoy the tranquility of the tuscany mountains. Our stay in the lodge was fun and relaxing. I went on the challenging week and the hikes where sufficient to test my stamina.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The peacefulness of the mountains and the ability to feel far away from the normality of life. Using the ropes to edge around the ridges. Exhilarating!

What did you think of your group leader?

I have completed many tours over the last 8 years and Sara bull is by far the best tour leader. Always aiming to please and getting all the small details spot-on. Sara puts her clients at ease and I had a marvellous time. Sara has immense knowledge and the ability to inspire further travel.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

This trip is a must,for an all-round experience. Walking,food and hospitality. Take all the gear for various weather and enjoy a dip in the pool.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Take advantage of Sara,s knowledge and soak in the atmosphere. Am sure good friends and memories will be made.

A really good if challenging (for me) series of walks in the Garfagnana region of Tuscany. Beautiful scenery, lovely beech forest, very hospitable hosts at the Agritourismo &amp; dogs that came walking with us. Awesome!

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Walking in the beautiful beech forests

What did you think of your group leader?

Excellent - so knowledgeable, encouraging, funny and helpful. She really looked after all of us &amp; her love for the region was inspiring.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Make sure you have gear for wet weather as well as dry and be prepared for plenty of home cooked Italian food!!

Murray inherited the travel bug early on in life from his globe-trotting parents - spending every school holiday in far-flung destinations around the world. Living in Central America during his Gap Year, he went on to study Tourism Management in his native Scotland before moving to Japan on the JET programme, teaching English to teenagers in Sapporo city. Since returning from the Far East, Murray has concentrated on visiting countries a little closer to home, including Morocco, Norway and Central Europe, where he now looks after the Exodus Operations.

Questions about your trip

Pick your question

Are walking poles necessary in Tuscany?

If you are used to walking with trekking poles then you can take them with you, as you will probably find them useful, especially on the downhill. They are not essential though and the walk is manageable without them. It is mostly a personal preference but do remember to pack them as part of your main luggage to be stowed in the hold.

Anna Faulder - Marketing

Tuscany articles

Staff member Anna Faulder travelled to Tuscany recently and you can read her article here to get a personal viewpoint of the area.

What is the food like at Braccicorti?

At Braccicorti, Mamma believes in producing authentic Tuscan cuisine that is simple, yet packed full of flavour. Using seasonal ingredients, such as the 16th Century staple grain Farro and the abundant sweet chestnut, delicious recipes are produced for you to enjoy. Although, traditionally, Italians believe in quality over quantity, Mamma also believes that when something is so good, there should be plenty to satisfy your healthy appetite and enjoys nothing more than seeing you enjoy her creations!

Stefania Aniello - Customer Operations

Can I make my own way to the start point in Tuscany?

The start hotel is approximately 1.5 – 2 hours drive from Pisa Airport and, if you decide to grab a taxi, the cost will be approximately 160 Euros. It is also possible to reach the start point using public transport. There are many trains from Pisa airport to Lucca, from where you should change and take a train to Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, (approx. cost €5). A timetable of train times can be found on www.ferroviedellostato.it. Total journey time – 2.5 hours.

Stefania Aniello - Customer Operations

What kind of luggage should I take?

There's really no restiction, whatever feels comfortable for you. Whether that's a wheelie case or a rucksack, you won't be carrying it too far so don't worry!

Amanda Ceraolo - Product Manager

Exodus staff - expertise on hand to help

All the staff at Exodus share a passion for adventure travel, and are always happy to answer any questions you may have. You can find an expert for the area you are interested in here and can contact them to get further information. If you don't see your specific country listed, please email customerops@exodus.co.uk and they will get the answers you need!

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